They Knew
by Rainer's Cherub
Summary: After 3 long years of being away, Kyousuke Kanou finally flies home to Japan in to the waiting arms of his friends and family. But is Miki still there? A little waff i formulated. pls. r&R.


Disclaimer: Hungry Heart is not mine…

Author's Notes: I'm very happy about having a Hungry Heart archive in Actually, I was on the lookout every week since the day I saw it in Animax here in the site but I couldn't find any. But thankfully, here it is…all thanks to Crystal Haze. You should read her story Always…so waffy and cute. Here's mine anyway…hope you like it.

-------------------

All it took was three long years.

Kyousuke Kanou sighed. He put his entire luggage down and inhaled the fresh Japanese wind. "Home"

He looked above him and frowned a bit. It was getting cloudy and he suspected it was going to rain sooner or later. But he smiled once more, his heart beating vehemently against his chest. He was overly excited to see everyone, especially Miki.

The mere thought of her green hair and eyes sent shivers through his spine. She was everything to him when he was in Amsterdam. He was alone there. Though he did have friends to cheer him up and go to gimmicks with him around town…it still felt foreign. He didn't feel the warmth of simple joys when he was with his _own _soccer team.

Because in this team, he was just a regular orange-haired bloke. Everybody in the group respected his talent and never did anything to physically or mentally or emotionally hurt him. They were all cool around him. Sometimes, they did fool around but still it wasn't the same.

He couldn't goof around like he used to in actual soccer games. Nobody called out his name when he did so and nobody hit him in the head or in the chest or anywhere in his body when he was being the ultimate goof-ball. It was funny but he missed all that. He missed Koji, he missed Rodrigo, Mori, Coach Murakami, his family, his crazy outside friends, he missed everyone in the soccer team and he missed especially…especially…

"Hey Number 9, straighten yourself up! You're a soccer player, remember!" He ached badly to hear her voice in the field. But her letters were enough to give him strength to move on forward. The thought of her crying as she ran towards him when he was about to leave gave him the energy to finish his games. And the feel of her arms tenderly wrapped around his neck as she cried harder on his shoulders provided him the courage to go on everyday. How he missed her… 

He smiled, feeling tears well up. _I'm finally going to see her again…_

The cab Kyousuke took was faster than what he had begged for. Everything was going well as planned except for the rain that now started pouring hard outside. But it didn't matter…none of it mattered. He just wanted to see them...her…

His heart pounded harder as the cab came to a halt. The driver turned to him and said, "Need an umbrella?"

Kyousuke smiled, "No thanks" and went outside in the unforgiving downpour.

Wet, Kyousuke stared up and down at the building and chortled amid being drenched. It still hadn't changed. The dormitory still had that orange color and there at the side was the same old motorcycle that could only belong to Dr. Kaori. His brother had come back a month before just to ask her hand. He chuckled to himself again; embarrassed by the thought that he might just do the same…

The sound of blatant cheers stopped his short reverie and made him turn to the field eastward. His brows knotted a little. _A game? _This was unexpected. He didn't suppose there would be any game when he arrived. But then again, he hadn't suppose any rain when he did…

Anyway, step-by-step, he went closer towards the door and slid it open. He was quite hoping everyone was there, watching T.V. while Ms. Bakuko prepared their dinner. But he was wrong. When he stepped inside, not a single soul could be seen. The dorm was empty and dark.

"Hello! Is anyone here?" it was his loudest voice but nobody responded. Instanteously, he dropped all his bags and ran outside. They were all in the field. He was sure about it.

The field was half-filled with spectators but the whole surrounding was in the same condition when he left. His eyes fell on the players below. To his surprise, they were all girls. He felt himself jumping, thinking that Miki could just be there. His eyes looked for her but found no one. She wasn't there…

_Maybe she quitted soccer. Idiot! Miki would never quit soccer…_Where is she then? His mind ached badly to find out why. He budged his eyes to the audience and found a familiar white haired guy, spontaneously shouting cheers while girls at the back cheered at him at the same time. No mistake about it. It was the Swiss guy—Koji.

"Sakai!" he shouted and immediately, all eyes were on him. Surprised eyes, he was sure. Sakai's jaw dropped and his eyes held confusion. Was it or was it not Kyousuke Kanou calling out his name?

"Sakai!" he called out again and this time everyone who heard him was sure. The sight of his orange hair that defied gravity excited them more and the cheers went on loud. Everyone ran towards him as he ran towards them as well.

They were all happy to see him. Everybody was there. Seisuke, Kaori, Ms. Bakuko, Sakai, Rodrigo, Mori…. everyone at his soccer team….he was very glad.

They were all wet from the rain but it didn't matter. They were just happy to see him. But there was something missing, though…he still haven't heard her…the one person he was most eager to see.

"Wait…where's- "

"She's playing out there on the field" Rodrigo answered, pointing to the game below them.

Kyousuke blushed as everybody teased him. He looked for her but where? He couldn't spot a green-haired girl kicking a soccer ball. His heart couldn't take the excitement anymore. _Where the hell is she? _His eyes fell on one player after another but nothing. Maybe it was because the rain weakened his sight or maybe because the girls were just running to fast for him to focus.

He was about to ask again when…

"Here comes Miki Fujiwaki, now dribbling the ball towards the goal…" the announcer had said. He desperately looked for the girl dribbling the ball. After a second, there she was…a girl in a white baseball cap ran through the defenders and with a sudden impact, kicked the ball and set the game on fire. There were 8 seconds left in the game but the ball hit the goal post instead. Bouncing back, the girl did the unexpected.

But Kyousuke anticipated her move. He and that girl had a lot in common in soccer. Without warning, the girl jumped sideward and rocketed her head towards the soccer ball, sending it inside the net along with the goalkeeper.

"The game is over!" The announcer sounded livelier than ever. "Score is 4-1 and the Interhigh Champion is Jyoyo High!"

And the whole field exploded in cheers and laughter. Everyone was jumping out of their seats to the open field forgetting that the rain was falling hard. But Kyousuke stood there, stunned. It wasn't their victory that seized him to a halt. It was the way the girl delivered her headshot. The force was so strong that it sent her baseball cap flying to who knows where. It was then he recognized who it was…

"Miki" he said her name to himself, gazing at her like an idiot. But this Miki was different. She had gotten immensely beautiful for a year. Her once short hair was now long up to waist, even greener that what he had to begin with. Kyousuke's heart ached once more. He waited so long to see her again. But why…

_Is she crying again?_ Her bangs covered her eyes and her head was ducked. Kyousuke couldn't have been surer that it wasn't rain trickling down her face. She was all wet now. Even wetter than everybody else.

Kyousuke jumped out from his seat onto the wet field. Miki was just standing in front of him, her face wet and her hands balled into fists. He ventured closer as everybody watched. He smiled, Miki just inches away from him.

"It's funny, don't you think?" he didn't know why he said that but deep inside him, he was secure of his words. "This is exactly what happened during your first official game." His voice was shivering and his whole body came with it.

The urge to instantly pull her towards his arms grew stronger as she spoke. Her voice as shaky as his. "Kyo-Kyousuke…" her hands found their way to her orange hair, messed it up and chuckled. "Still orange, huh?"

Finally, she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with tears. She was gazing at his face, her hands making sure if it really was real. Her smile was just magic. Then…her eyes met his.

And without warning, Kyousuke pulled her into his waiting arms. Tightly. She smiled. He was warm. "How I missed you…." she heard him say, love evident in his tone.

"I missed you too…" she was at a loss for words until that. He was still the big goof-ball she used to fool around and tutor. He hadn't change a bit.

"Your hair is long" he suddenly remarked, looking at her, brushing a strand of hair away from Miki's face.

_You're still the jerk that I loved. _Miki balled her hands into a fist and knocked on his head. "Jerk!" she laughed

Kyousuke laughed with her and all of a sudden, "I love you, Miki…I wished I would have told you that before I left but I—"

"You don't have to" Miki whispered. "True love requires no words, don't you know that? You dummy…."

"KISS!"

Both of them turned away and realized that they were after all in front of a field! All of the spectators saw what happened and were now demanding…

A kiss…

Kyousuke turned to Miki, his face all crimson. Miki was now blushing, too…

"Don't even think about—"

But it was too late. For Kyousuke's lips were now on hers. Miki was taken back a little but she kissed him back, her hands pulling him closer. The rain was falling harder and so were they to each other. The crowd was now cheering on louder, teasing the both of them. Everything was perfect..

Maybe it was the same moment when they lost their first game that Miki realized she loved him. Maybe it was the same for Kyousuke. Or maybe it was the very day when both of them met each other, the moment he first called her a blackmailer and the moment she first called him a jerk…

What does it matter? Either way…

They knew.


End file.
